Traffic-controlling system for railroads.



0.. I. COLEMAN. TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR 'BAILROADS. APPLIOATION FILED JULY7, 1908.

1,025,371. Patented may 7, 1912.

i. 3& I

P? SW1 3 N i. F Q

[ ET Q M'tnesses Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE J. COLEMIAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TBAFEIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented May '7, 1912,

Application fiiea July v, 1908. Serial No. 442,320.

useful Improvement in T-raflic-Controlling.

Systems for Railroads, of the. follow'- ing is a specification, reference being-had therein 'to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates to electric traiiiccontrolling systems for railroads.

. The invention is particularly applicable to electric signal systems of the automatic type, but is adapted also, in its broadest sense, to the operation of switches and othertrafiic-controlling devices.

a simple traflic-controlling system and to secure economy in-the expenditure ofelectrio energy.

In automat c electric tra'ilic-controlling systems it is customary to provide for the operation of the apparatus, in accordance with. the position-and movements of a train, by means ofelectriccircuits energized by a source of currentextraneous to the'train aiid controlled by or form the train. a

In the present invention I employ the novel principle of controlling the electric apparatus by means of electric energy transmitted from the train itself direct to the track rails,

and in this way I attain a simplicity in construction and operation, and an economy in expenditure of electric energy, which Wlll be apparent from a consideration of the particular application of this principle hereinof the two adjacent blocks, and the three signal stations are designated, respectively,

as A, B and G. r

In the illustrated embodiment of'theinvention the track rails 1 are continuously conductive and constitute portions, of track circuits. transformers, of which the primary windings 2 are connected across the track rails, while the secondary windings 3 are connected with the magnets 4 of; track relays by At the ends of the blocks are which the local signal circuits are controlled.-

vided with a suitable motor, which may be of any ordinary or, suitable form and is not shown, by which the signal is cleared when the local signal circuit is closed by the action offcontact finger 5. In the normal condition of the apparatus, which is illustrated at A and B, the transformer is denergized, the contact finger of the relay is in openc1rcu1t danger.

transmitted throughhthe track rails from the approaching trairi itself. For this pur pose the train is provided with an inductive cc iil carried "ahead of the foremost wheels and close td the rails, Two trains. 8' and 9 are illustrated in blocks B -C and AB, respectively. Each train is provided with an inductive coil lO-in advance of the fore most wheels 12, and'the coil is connected with a suitable alternatinggenerator 11 carried by the train. This generator is constantl in operation during the running of the tg ain, and the alternating current in coil 1 acts inductively on the track rails and induces a current in the tracleahead of the train. Thls current'follows a circuit comprising the two track rails, the foremost wheels 12with their axle and, under normal conditions, the primary winding 2 of thetransformer atthe signal station next in position, and the signal stands at v p I The current by which the transformer is, .energiaed to cause the relay to "close the local signal circuit and clear the signal is The object of the invention is to produce advance. As the rails are continuously conduct-ive, a portion of the current will also be diverted to the transformers at stations farther in advance, but not sufficiently to materially detract from eflectiveness of the currentint-he first transformer in advance of transformer and therelay, and the signal oircuit'through signal 6 s closed and he signal cleared;

When the block ne xtin advance of a sig 1.19

nal is occupied, the signal cannot'be cleared, for the reason that the wheels and axles of the train ahead afi'ord an alternative path for currents in the'track circuit which is of such low impedance relative to that of 'the transformer that the amount of current '10 on train 9 passes for the most part through a circuit comprising the rails, wheels 12 and their 'axle on train 9, and the rearmost wheels13 and their axle on train 8, only a small portion of the current flowing through the transformer at B. Signal B therefore remains at danger untiltrain 8, passes out of block B-G.

All of the circuits of this system are nor-' mally deenergized, and there is no expenditure' of energy except in energizing the inductive coil on the train itself. As it is unnecessary to energize the track circuit until the train nears the end of the block, a further economy may be effected by cutting out the inductive coil While the train traverses the first part of the block. I

Althou h in the invention is illustrated as applie to a very simple system in which only home signals are employed, it will be obvious that it may be applied, with advantage, to many other systems, 'and that various modifications maybe made in the embodiment ofthe invention hereinbefore de- .scribed an d illustrated in the accompany,

ing drawing, within the nature of the inventionand the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

\1. A traific-controlling system comprising,

7 in combination with track rails and'a car,

in combination with track rails and'a car,

tratficcontrolling means located at a fixed point along the track and electrically con ."nected to the track rails, a conductor carried by the car in inductive relation to the rails for inducin electromotive force in the railsto produce t 'erein electric current to operate the traffic-controlling means, and means for generating current in said conductor.

2. A vtraifi'c-controlling system comprising,

traific-controlling means located at a fixed pointalongthe track and electrically connected tothetrack rails, a conductor carried by the car in inductive relation to the rails i for inducing electroinotive-force in the track rails in advance of the car to produce therein electric current to operate the traflic-controlling means, and means for generating current in said conductor.

3. .A traflic-controlling system comprising,

in combination with track rails and a car,

trafiic-controllingmeanslocated at a fixed.

point along/the track, electricv controlling means thereforr'connected withthe trac in combination with track rails and'a car,

trafiic-controlling means located at a fixed point along the track, transformers ,in con-- generating current in trol thereof and connected with the track rails, a conductor carried by thecarifl-in ductive relation to the rails for inducing.

electro-motive force in thetrack rails to produce therein electric current'to energize the generating cuttransformers, and means for rent in said conductor.

5. A tratlicecontrolling system com rising,

in combination with track rails an a car,

traific-controlling means located at a fixed"- point: along the track'and electrically con nected to the-track rails, a coil carried by the car' in inductive proximity to the rails, and means for energizing the coil to induce electro-motive force in the track rails to produce therein current for the purpose of operating the traffic-controlling means.

6. A trafiic-controlling system comprising, in combination with track rails and a car, t-raflic-controlling means, inductive apparatus connected with the traffic-controlling means and the rails, inductive apparatus carried by the car in inductive relation to the track rails, and means for energizing the latter to induceelectro-motive force in the track rails to roduce therein current to opcrate the tra c-controlling means.

7 A traflic-controlling system comprising, in combination with track rails and a car, trafiic-controlling means located at a fixed pointalong the track and controllable by the condition of the track ahead and adapt ed to indicate the condition of such track, and means carried by the car and acting directly upon the track rails for transmitting an electric current through the rails to con means.

8. A traflic-controlling system comprising, in combination with track mails and a car, traflic controlling apparatus located at a fixed point along the track, electric controlling means therefor connected to the track rails, and means carried by the car for producing a difference in potential between the two rails at a point in advance of the car to produce in the rails a current flowin in opposite directions in the two rails and operative to control the electric-controlling means.

9. A trafiic-control1ing system comprising, in combination with track rails and a car, trafiic-controlling apparatus arranged to normally give a danger indication, electric I car for producing a difference of potential I of'the car to produce in the rails afcurrent car, tra'flic-controllin' apparatus located at by the'carfor producing a difference of controlling means for the traflic-controlling apparatus having electrical connection with in advance ofthe-car to produce in the rails the track rails,fi and. means carried 'by' --the between the two rails at a point in advance flowing in opposite directions in the two rails and operative to control the electric controlling means.

10. A trafl'ic-controlling system comprising, in combination with track rails and a a fixed point along the track and arranged to normally give'a danger indication, electric controlling means for the "traffic-controlling apparatns having electrical connection-with the track rails, and means carried potential between the two rails .at a point- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for a' current flowing in opposite directions in 'the two rails and operative to control the the track ahead and controllable by the -con dition of suchtrackfand means carried by the car for inducing electro-motive force inadvance of the car to produce a current in the rails to control the traffic-controlling ap- 'paratus In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v CLYDE J. COLEMAN. iv-Witnesses:

- .Amsnnr V. T. DAY,

WM. ASHLEY KELL five dentseach,. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, -Washinzton. D'. 0." 

